Starting device for motor-driven machines



Nov. 18, 1930.

A. s. JERRAM STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR DRIVEN MACHINES Filed Nov. 21, 1927 I walks "with 'it v V trailer, driven by themachine; The invention I This. arrangement 30 the driver to stoop 1 that'lies atlan acute I 40 riphera'l surface, andpextends einwardly and Patented 'Nov. 1 8, 1930 AnrnURnnnns'r 5:33A LEICESTER, ENGLAND,

.s'rAnrrivsbnvicnron' vrorois nmvnn MACHINES f Application filed November21,-1927, Seria1 N'o. 234,863,,and in, Great Britain Ilecember '2 2, 192's.

' o This inventionrela tes to;n1otor-driven" mashines-of the kind that aregsteered driver who is fusually not carriedby thermachine but or. sits on'ia part, such as a ls particularly applicable to notor-driven lawnernower'sand like light machines having a: 1notor in the form of an linternal-combus tion'e'n ine iv 1o {This invention has for its 7 renderthe starting oftheinotor of suchmovable lliil achines' more easy as compared with the usual ine'thod of .crankingIround 1 an engine-driv'en shaft by means of a handle onthe latter; f

According to an importnt ieatureV o f'th e invention, there is movable machine combination with arranged .to be rotated by apull on an independent fle'xible tie having one end wound thereon, orqon a provided in a motordriven partthatisarranged toeonstitute a support 125 for foot of the operator for steadying: the inachine whilst the operatorpis pulling'the tie, and is so placed as to enable'the operator to use his muscular: strength to advantage.

down to a shaft [near the ground and .crank it round by hand whilst in an awkward position for such an operation, and enables him to remain erectfand readily start the motor wh'lst in 'such position.

' Accordingto another feature of the invention, the said part receiving: the flexible tie,

for example a1strap,-is in the form ofa pulley, tie-receiving slot having in its peripherya angle to the adjacent pe" forwardly inithe direction of rotation" of; the pulley. fllhis; constructi0i1; ensures thatthe .t-ie when;unwound;froin the part to which itis 1 1 appliedshalliat oncefleave the same andnot be wound thereon in the reverse sense when the lnotor is running under} ts own power.

, In orderthatrthe invention ith, referen jez t ithezaccom of thejvkind described, the a relatively low-lyingsh aft art operativelyconnected therewith, and thereby start the motor, of a obviates the .necessity ,for

V maybe clearly' understood it will now be deserib'ed byway-of o, ple Qn y,

driven lawn-mower,

derstood that thereto, as it chines I of the drawing Figure 1 is a comprising a I thereto; 1

the invention is not-restricted is also applicable, to other Ina kind .set. forth above. In said improved starting device although :it is to be pulley and tread-plate applied ,FiguresZ and iishowithe inside elevation, partly in tio'n', respectively, and o l Figures 4 and 5 show the tread-plate in front; elevation, and elevation, respectivelyq Like reference parts in allth transverse sectional characters designate like eviewsa Referring tothe drawing, thepower-driven lELWH IHOWGI has aninternal-combustione111 gine 10 which can be started: by'rotating a shaft: 11 thatextends at side ofthe frameof the-machine where it carries -a;pulle 12 just the ,CQnstruction,illustrated; the shaft- 11 is coupled bylan'automatically adjustable 1couplin'g' with 'th relatively low 1 As shown in Figures 2' and 3, this'pu'lley down nearjtheground, r

has i an internally; 'screwthreaded-c boss by which it can be screwed on thecshaft' 'll", and

and situated t situated towa owards thejlthreadedrend rd thepther end 16 which is recessed to 5 provide a a chamber 4 17 extending inwards, nearly as fa'ruas the flange 14, in;

which: chamber {pulley on} its-. shaftjc'an be lhoused; Thebo'dy lof- -,thel pulley in its: periph c t angle to a lock-nut: 18for locking the between "its flanges has formed 5 1 the direction 1 receiving one a leather strap, the gpulley be end of af flexibletie 20, such as tween :its flanges with several whichis then wrapped about 7 section, and in end eleva one end throughone.

outsideitheiframe near 1 the end thereofcarrying thehandles In e engine-crankshaft andlies superposed turns, coil over-coil, in the direcstarting the e "t1on in which-the *sh'aft'isl .to be rotated on T LUU ery'ga slot-.1 9 thatlies atf'an the gadjacnt'peripheral sur- *1 leave the slot as there is no knot or like stop for holding it therein. The flanges 14,

Q tread-plateis bolted toa prevent loose material from being caught in the slot when the motor is Working and thereby ensure safety whilst the machine is in use. The end lfiof the pulley is "preferably conical outside for preventing loose material from being wound up on it, and has an internal annular groove 21.

A tread-plate 22 constitntinga support for the foot of the operator is provided. for

pulling the strap 20. As shown in Figures 4'and 5, this tread-plate whichmay be a casting, has a curved foot-supporting surface formed by stud-like projections 23 to provide a roughened surface having at the centre a recess 24 formed in a boss 25 at the back of the plate. This boss is perforated to receive agbolt by whichthe plate can be firmly fixed on the machine, with the head or oneor more nuts of the bolt accommodated in the recess 24:. out of reachof a foot placed on the plate. 7 p i Such a tread-plate, which'is distinct from the frame of the machine, may be fixed on the mower substantially in'front of the pulley 12, so that when the. operator. takes a firm hold of'the free end of thestrap and places ,fon the plate one foot, say the left foot, he can thereby Securethe machine from 1novementiand obtain a purchase on the strap, so thathe can exert greatmuscular efiort and spin the motor at a speed, hitherto unobtaina le, by merely cranking the engine-shaft round lby'ihand. In this way, starting of the theicase of two-stroke engines and all danger of damage to the/operator through a backfire isflobviated'. As illustrated in Figure 1, the

boss formed on a detacihable cover-plate 26 of a gear-box con- 7 taining change-speed gear arranged between a the shaft'illland the driving roller 27 of the mower, but ite may be mounted at some other convenient.situation'if desired.

Variousmodifications may be'made in the detailstof construction described above with-' out departing from the invention as defined in the: claims. In some-: cases, the tie-receivinig fslotfmay be open-ended at oneorboth ends of the pulley, in i which constructioni one or both of1the flangesaforesaidfif provided, I

will Jalso beslotted, but thisjmodijfication is notzpreferred; Alsop some q relatively lowlying shaftrother than that described maybe rotated by the nwinding of 'the-tie-and ar ranged'to: startithe motor 'liclaimy V y Y 1 motor-driven movable machine of the kind? describedvcomprising "in t combination;

' ai lowflying shaft adapted,fupo trotatienyto.

steadying the machine while the operator is motorh-is greatly facilitated, particularly in start the motor of the machine, a flexible tie having one end wound on a part operatively connected with said shaft andv adapted to be pulled to rotate the shaft, and a relatively fixed support for a foot of the operator so secured to the machine as to steady the latter whilst the operator is pulling the tie, and as to enable the operator to use his muscular strength to advantage.

2; A'motor-driven movable machine of the kind'described comprising in combination, a low-lying shaft adapted, upon rotation, to start themotor ,ofthemachine, a flexible tie having one end wound on a part operatively connected With'said shaft and adapted'to be pulled to rotate the shaft, and a roughened tread-plate secured to a relatively fixed part of the machine at aposition close to the line of pull-"of the said tie on the shaft so that theoperator may rest his foot thereon when pulling the said tie. v

3. A motor-driven movable machine of the kind described comprising in combination, a low-lying shaft'a'dapted, upon rotation, 'to start the motor of the machine, a' flexible tie having one end wound on a part operatively his footthereon when e thereof ina forward direction at an acute angle to the "adjacentperipheral surface of the pulley, and] a tread plate for a foot-of the operator so secured L to the machine; as to steady the latter-whilst the operatonis pullingthetie' 5. A motor-driven moyable machine of the kind described'comprising in combination, a low-lying shaft adapted, upon rotation, to start the motor of the machine, a slotted pulley fast on said shaft, flanges on said pulley extending around the-periphery thereof and-spaced apart frornfeach other, the said slot in the pulley lying between the flanges and having itsqendsclosedthereby, which saidslot also extends inwardly from the ex; terior of the pulley in a forward, direction, a iflexible tieh'a'ving one endportion inserted in the slot and wound around the; pulley, and a -*tread-platefor a foot of the operator so secured to theina'chine as to steadythe lat-T ter whilst the'operator is pullin'gthe tie,'and asto' enable the operator to use i the kind described, the combin tions a 15ws lying shaft adapted, uponrotation, to start the motor of the machine, a starting device comprising a flexible tie that has-one end wound on a part operativelyconnected with said shaft, and is"adapted to be vpulled to g I rotate the shaft, and'a tread-plate that is mounted on the machine relatively lowdown 7 near the ground, and in such positional relationship to the said part around which the tie is wound, as to enable the footlof the op- .erator conveniently to provide thecrequisite reaction to the pull on the tie when starting c the motor, and to enable the operator to use his muscular strength to advantage v In testimony whereof'l afiix my signature.

ARTHUR ERNEST'JERRAM., 1 I 

